Standards for Dry Washing and Pressure Washing in Mobile Car Care


The industry standard for mobile washing is completing the car and removing the dirt so it is clean as promised to the customer. Some would say this is not a standard but rather the minimum required. The environmental standards for run off are simple in that no used wash water is allowed to enter a storm drain. Which is fairly simple and straightforward. Customers obviously prefer a clean car.

So should you use a product such as Dry Wash n' Guard or use a pressure washer to clean the automobile? There are competing methods and theories here and each side has valid points and the debate is often quite heated if your follow the subject on bulletin boards or BLOGS in the auto detailing industry.

If you did not tell the customer how you were cleaning or washing; then the customer would be more impressed with the results from dry wash, but the dry washed car would more resemble a wash and quick wax. So putting up a dry wash car next to a car washed with a pressure washer is not a fair contest in that the customer would prefer the dry washed car and those results better. But if you put up a dry wash car to a car, which was washed with a pressure washer and then glazed or quick waxed with a spray bottle wax, the customer would not have a preference as long as you used a good brand of quick wax.

Now then if you had a customer standing next to you while you washed the car. The average customer not knowing about dry wash would prefer the hand pressure wash. The informed customer would not care either way, provided you had educated them in advance to the dry wash methods and why it works, how it works and what they get extra out of it. A detailed car using dry wash and pressure washing to the customer would be very similar and the average customer would be happy either way. The informed critical eye, might be upset to see that hood vents and other things were not completely cleaned. I do understand that Dry Wash n Guard now has a plastic cleaner to correct this situation. I have seen people go ballistic when they see some one is washing their car with dry wash and they thought they were using water, these operators obviously did not explain the dry wash benefits very well or at all in advance. Therefore caused a situation where the consumer felt mislead, I cannot imagine the dry washer ever returning to that location or attempting to get referrals. It may have been a simple misunderstanding but the consumer was very upset and the detailer-dry washers lost the account. The gentleman who was enraged even called security and the property manager to have him thrown off the property, needless to say it meant no detailers, water or other wise were allowed on the property, eventually I think our franchisee in the area got back onto the property after jumping thru some serious hoops and long explanation and best attire in a long meeting which included him buying lunch at the golf club for the property owner and manager? (When I discuss franchisees; I founded this company: http://www.detailguys.com and http://www.carwashguys.com ). If do not want to see a mad customer, and you use dry wash; then it is advised to be upfront with a complete explanation. When using a pressure washer we never get these types of situations, unless it is really windy and someone with a clean car gets over-spray. As a matter of fact we are often asked; "You don't use dry wash do you?" We have never answered yes, so I do not know what the result would be if we had said yes, I just think back to that parking lot situation with the mislead consumer or miss-understanding dry wash professional. What do I personally think of dry wash? Well I use the same method with a quick wax, so I am not hostile towards it. I know our customers love us and that most of the competition hates us, of those competitors some are using dry wash but most use pressure washers. I clean my show truck, semi, with quick wax bottle of spray and towel often, similar to the dry wash method because I never let it get too, dirty, the rest of the time I use the pressure washer. So personally I use the dry wash method on my own vehicle and it works fine indeed.

So as an informed person my personal preference is that I like both. But for speed and economics we have chosen to stick with the pressure washers. Dry Wash'ers might argue that, the pressure washer is a cost too you know? Yes, this is true and for someone who does not have the money to buy a water tank, and home depot pressure washer, a relevant point, but you can buy an Ex-Cell Honda, a good one, Home Depot Pressure Washer for $600.00, so you will have to make your own decision as to which method you intend to use. Either way, be sure to be upfront with customers and if you use dry wash, be sure to educate them on the many benefits for positive customer relations. If you use a pressure washer; watch the over spray and keep the dirty water out of the storm drains. Think about it.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs